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Subject:Re: the Web....or web.... From:Adam -dot- Lund -at- metaware -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 24 Oct 2000 14:52:33 -0700
<snip>
I'm seeing "Web" spelled in a lower-case form quite a
bit these days....what is the current vibe....is "Web"
common enough that it can be lower-case now?
How about Internet/internet?
</snip>
The Web, or web...
I believe the rule is that proper nouns should be capitalized. The Internet
is generally regarded as its own entity and as a proper noun, so "Internet"
should almost always be capitalized. Usage may become tricky when you
refer to an Internet technology or Internet something-or-other, when the
word Internet modifies another word (with hyphen, usually). But in general
you should be safe with an init cap on Internet.
The usage of Web/web is a little more tricky. You have the Web, its own
entity and a proper noun, similar to the Internet. But you also have web
pages, web sites, and a host of other things that are web. The vibe, as I
know it, is that it's OK to use lower case web in terms such as web pages,
web sites, web media, web-based support, or when you refer to "web" as a
property of something else. If "web" appears as the first part of a proper
noun, capitalize the word. Some examples follow:
"For more information on widgets, visit the Company XYZ support web site
at: http://www.companyxyz.com/support/ "
"Search the Web for more information on XYZ widgets."
"IBN hired a new Webmaster to work on the Webopedia project on the
Internet."
The Microsoft Manual o' Style, Wired style guide, and Yale Manual of Style
may contain more info on this topic.
Regs,
Adam Lund
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